China 9, Liberty 37

China 9, Liberty 37 (Amore, piombo e furore)
Theatrical poster cover
Directed by	Monte Hellman
Produced by	Gianni Bozzacchi Valerio De Paolis Monte Hellman
Written by	Ennio de Concini Vicente Escrivá Soriano Jerry Harvey Douglas Venturelli Alberto Liberati
Starring	Fabio Testi Warren Oates Jenny Agutter
Music by	Pino Donaggio
Cinematography	Giuseppe Rotunno Technicolor, Techniscope
Distributed by	Allied Artists Pictures Corporation (U.S. Release)
Running time	92 Mins Cut Version 103 Mins Director's Cut
Language	Italian

China 9, Liberty 37 (Italian: Amore, piombo e furore) is an Italian-Spanish 1978 western film directed by Monte Hellman, starring Warren Oates, Jenny Agutter, and Fabio Testi. Noted director Sam Peckinpah has a small, rare acting role. The film was shot in locations in Spain and Italy by cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno. Pino Donaggio composed the musical score. The film had a very sparse theatrical release in the United States, and did not play in some cities until as late as 1984.

Plot

Gunslinger Clayton Drumm (Testi) is in jail, about to be hanged, when railroad company men offer him a chance to live if he will agree to murder Matthew (Oates), a miner who has steadfastly refused to sell his land to the railroad.

Although he accepts the assignment, Clayton has become weary of killing and wants to try to build a new life for himself. The would-be killer and his potential victim meet and become friends, even though Matthew correctly guesses that Clayton was sent by the railroad, the same railroad Matthew once worked (and, as he admits to Clayton, killed) for. Matthew is married to the beautiful Catherine (Agutter), who greatly complicates matters by falling in love with Clayton. She follows Clayton when he goes for a late night swim in the nearby hot springs. She disrobes, and Clayton has sex with her. The next morning, when Matthew discovers his wife’s infidelity, he becomes infuriated. Catherine stops him from shooting the departing Clayton. When he begins beating her, she stabs him in the back and then hits him on the head with a rolling pin. Believing that she has killed her husband, she catches up with Clayton and persuades him to escort her to town, where she can catch the train. Matthew recovers from his wounds and gets his family to help him track down his wife and her lover.

On the way, Clayton and Catherine run into one of Matthew's relatives, who becomes suspicious. Clayton warns the man that he has not chance against a professional gunfighter, then shoots the revolver out of his opponent's hand. When the man retrieves his gun and fires anyway, Clayton has no choice but to kill him.

Later, Matthew and the others ambush Clayton. Clayton is shot in the leg, but is able to ride away. Catherine, however, is captured.

Meanwhile, the railroad men realize that Clayton has not lived up to his part of the bargain (he returned the $500 advance). Consequently, they send two groups of gunmen, to kill both Clayton and Matthew. They attack Clayton in a whorehouse in which he has taken refuge, but he shoots two dead, and the third is killed by Clayton's madam friend. Meanwhile, Matthew heads home, unaware that the other bunch is hiding there in ambush. They kill his two remaining male relatives. However, Clayton turns up, and he and Matthew kill their enemies. Afterward, Matthew forces him to engage in a showdown. Clayton outdraws him, but refuses to kill him. He leaves without Catherine. Matthew sets fire to his home and drives away with Catherine on a wagon containing their possessions.

Cast

Home media

China 9, Liberty 37 has never been given an official, legitimate DVD release in any region. Various unlicensed bootlegs have been issued, including a reportedly poor, grainy and edited version (78 min) on Region 0 DVD by Alpha Video on July 27, 2010.^[1]

The full (98 mins @ 25 fps) director's version, in English language and original scope, has been broadcast by TCM and subsequently made available on a couple of unauthorized torrent websites.

Clips of the film can be seen in the documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession.

References

External links

• China 9, Liberty 37 at the Internet Movie Database